COMPARATIVE RECOVERY OF MANGANESE BY FLOTATION TECHNIQUE FROM TUNGAN, NIGERIA AND TARKWA, GHANA ORES.

Abstract

Manganese is essential to iron and steel production by virtue of its sulphur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Iron making including its steel making component, has accounted for most manganese demand. Recovery of valuable minerals from manganese ore by froth flotation was investigated in this study. Manganese ores were collected from two locations, in Tungan-Mallam, Nigeria and Nsuta-Tarkwa, Ghana. The ores were subjected to comminution and particle size analyses in accordance with British Standard, B. S 410:1976. Chemical analysis was carried out on the pulverized ores in accordance with American Standard for Testing Methods, ASTM (2003)-C114 to determine their elemental compositions. Froth flotation was used with Sodium Oleate (Collector oil), Corn starch as depressant and MIBC as frothing agent to recover manganese minerals using a Denver D-12 cell at the constant speed of 1300 rpm. About 80 % of undersize of Tungan ore correspond to 150 μm while 80 % of Tarkwa ore corresponds to 106 μm after grinding with about 40% media charge. Manganese and iron minerals are the dominant components of the ores with 28.9 % Mn, 35.2 % Fe for Nigerian Ore and 64.8 % Mn, 17.8 % Fe for Ghanaian Ore as revealed by mineralogical and chemical analyses. Highest recoveries of 95.95 kg/ton were obtained for manganese at 75 μm, pH 5 and collector dosage 0.1 g/kg for Nigerian ore; 99.82 kg/ton at 150 μm, pH 5 and collector dosage 0.1 g/kg for the Ghanaian ore. Optimum recoveries for both manganese ores are 91.26 % (Nigeria) and 93.02 % (Ghana). Results obtained showed that though, both ores are amenable to the flotation process, the Ghanaian ore gives the higher yield.